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Gilbert Klecan won the first post-war ‘All American Soap Box Derby’ by covering his machine and himself in graphite, his ‘Unfair Advantage’, Akron, Ohio on 9 August 1946…
This shot gave me a chuckle, reminding me of my own ‘billy-cart’ days. The tight ’46 finish is shown below, the wonderful tradition of these events continues to this day.
Credit…
Racing One
Oddjob shows off James Bond’s Aston DB5 outside the Hilton Hotel in the PR hoopla around Goldfinger’s release in 1965…
(Popperfoto)
Goldfinger was the third film of the Bond ‘franchise’, James copped a new company car of course, an Aston DB5 and so commenced a relationship between Bondy and Aston’s which has endured down the decades. It was an astute bit of product placement on the part of David Brown and his marketers, sales and company profile grew as a consequence.
Aston Martin’s haven’t been Jame’s only conveyance of choice, click on this link for a list of all the cars used in the Bond films;
http://www.007james.com/articles/list_of_james_bond_cars.php
Sean Connery on ‘Goldfinger’ location with DB5 (Donaldson Collection)
Because I know you simply have to know, here’s a comprehensive list of all the goodies ‘Q’ fitted to the DB5 to keep James away from the baddies;
http://www.007james.com/gadgets/aston_martin_db5.php
(Popperfoto)
(Popperfoto)
And One for the Rich Kids…
The portly young chap is at the wheel of a DB5 ‘Junior’ in the Iranian Embassy, London December 1966. Its a gift from Aston’s to the Shah of Persia or Crown Prince of Iran, dude at right the Iranian Ambassador
Credit…
Popperfoto
Tailpiece…
Family watching the ‘Del Monte Trophy’ Pebble Beach, California road racing in October 1954…
I was going to crop out the rug etc but then noticed the ‘six’packs’ of Coke and Miller. I imagine its a quintessential American scene of the day which no doubt is the composition photographer Robert Lachenbach sought.
No details on car or driver but ’tis a top shot?! Love the period casual clothes of the ‘well-heeled’ local patrons.
Credit…
Robert Lackenbach
The ever innovative Derek Gardner with an ‘aero-tweak’ being tested on Francois Cevert’s Tyrrell 002 Ford during Italian GP practice at Monza on 10 September 1972…
This huge sleeve over the exhausts is cowled from the oil coolers back, the idea being to harness the exhaust gas energy to entrain air through the sleeve and enhance airflow and hence better cooling thru the oil rads.
Francois hadn’t done too many laps when the ‘prophylactics’ parted company with the car at very high speed, bouncing their way into lightweight schrapnel around the famous autodrome, fortunately ‘002’ was well clear of any following cars at the time!
The shot below shows a standard ‘006’ rear end to give an idea of how the car appeared sans ducts.
Ken Tyrrell and Jackie Stewart discuss the sublime weather before Francois is sent on his way. These cars evolved a lot throughout 1972/3, the Tyrrells arguably (Lotus 72 pace duly noted!) the quickest cars of the era from the time ‘001’ first raced at Oulton Park later in 1970 until Stewart’s retirement and Cevert’s death at Watkins Glen at the end of 1973.
Date and place unknown, 1973 Tyrrell 006 Ford, Cevert up (unattributed)
Monza 1972 wasn’t a good race for the ‘Boys in Blue’ at all though, JYS popped a clutch on the line and was lucky not to get ‘whacked up the clacker’ at a million miles an hour and Francois’ engine ‘popped’ on lap 14. Emerson Fittipaldi took the race and the ’72 title in his Lotus 72D Ford.
FC looking very ‘chillaxed’ prior to the ’73 British GP at Silverstone, Tyrrell 006 Ford (unattributed)
You might find this story about Cevert’s early career of interest if you haven’t already seen it;
I wrote an article a while back about Team Tyrrell and innovation…
Have a read of it if you haven’t, its amazing just how ‘edgy’ Ken’s boys were over the years given their resources relative to bigger, better funded teams;
https://primotipo.com/2014/09/16/tyrrell-019-ford-1990-and-tyrrell-innovation/
Roll on into mid-1973 and Derek was considering his overall design and aero alternatives for his 1974 car…
Here Francois is testing ‘005’ during British GP practice at Silverstone in mid July, JYS did a few laps in the same car carrying #42. It looks remarkably cohesive for a car designed originally with a totally different bluff nose aerodynamic concept!
Compare and contrast the ‘normal’ bluff nose Tyrrell ‘006’ Cevert races here in front of James Hunt’s March 731 Ford at the British GP, Silverstone in 1973, with the ‘005’ chisel nose he tested in practice above. Hunt was a splendid 4th, Cevert 5th, Revson took his first GP win in a McLaren M23 Ford (unattributed)
It was a good year until the US GP, JYS took his third title in the ‘low polar moment of inertia’, short wheelbase, twitchy but very quick in both Stewart and Cevert’s hands, Tyrrell 005/006 cars.
Click on this link for a short story about those cars;
https://primotipo.com/2014/08/25/jackie-stewart-monaco-gp-1973-tyrrell-006-ford/
Gardner had a pretty handy additional test pilot in Chris Amon who was contracted the drive the spare Tyrrell 005 in the end of season North American GP’s at Mosport and Watkins Glen.
Chris was always rated as a test-driver by all he raced with from Ferrari’s Mauro Forghieri ‘down’.
Amon raced ‘005’ in side radiator/chisel nose spec in Canada. He didn’t race it at Watkins Glen after Francois’ fatal accident on the Saturday resulted in Ken Tyrrell withdrawing the teams cars for the race, which would have been the retiring Stewart’s 100th GP.
Chris Amon 10th in Tyrrell 005 Ford in the Canadian GP, Chris has ‘modified’ the cars nose during the race. JYS was 5th in 006, Cevert DNF after a collision with Scheckter, Peter Revson won the race in a McLaren M23 Ford (unattributed)
Derek Gardner tested the ‘chisel nose, side radiator’ aerodynamic approach pioneered by the Lotus 56 at Indianapolis in 1968.
After the history making changes at the 1973 seasons end Derek Gardner threw out the conceptual approach he had decided upon for 1974.
The proposed car was to be a ‘highly strung thoroughbred’ from which maestro’s Stewart and Cevert could extract every ounce of performance. His change was to a much more forgiving chassis attuned to the developmental needs of ‘cub drivers’ Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler for 1974, his ‘007’ design was the very effective result.
(unattributed)
Tyrrell 007 Ford cutaway above. The design comprised an aluminium monocoque chassis, Ford Cosworth 3 litre DFV V8, Hewland FG400 5 speed transaxle, disc brakes inboard front and rear, wishbone front suspension with coil spring dampers, rear suspension by single upper link, lower parallel links, radius rods and coil spring/damper units anf adjustable roll bars.
Checkout Allen Brown’s oldracingcars piece on ‘007’ inclusive of chassis by chassis history; https://www.oldracingcars.com/tyrrell/007/
Tailpiece: The ’74 Tyrrell 007 Ford in Depailler’s hands, Swedish GP in which he was 2nd and Scheckter’s 1st, winning the South African’s first GP. Evolution of Derek Gardner’s aero thinking clear from ’73-’74, mind you he went back to a bluff nose for his outrageous P34 6 wheeler for 1976…
(unattributed)
Credits…
Rainer Schlegelmilch, Doug Nye ‘History of The GP Car’
Finito…
Image from a 1939 promotional brochure to sell the car, not much has changed in the positioning of luxury high performance cars over the years, it’s just that online media is more important than print…
I’ve no idea what the seaplane is but am intrigued to know if any of you aircraft enthusiasts can pick it.
406 of these cars were built between 1934 and 1940. Powered by a 5.4 litre supercharged, 180bhp straight-eight, these elegant 2600Kg beasts topped 105mph and did a standing quarter in around 16.5 seconds.
The car above is the ‘ducks guts’ 540K Spezial Roadster of which only 25 were built, the brand association with the Hindenburg LZ-129 airship ended up rather a sub-optimal choice!
Credit…
Heritage Images, unattributed
Tailpiece…
John Surtees races his North American Racing Team Ferrari 158 to second place at Watkins Glen on October 4, keeping alive his ultimately successful 1964 title chances…
Enzo Ferrari was in a spat with the Italian governing body at the time over its refusal, Ferrari having failed to build the minimum number of cars, to homologate the sports/racer Ferrari 250LM as a Sportscar. The result of which forced entrants to race it as a Prototype, a category in which it was not competitive and not designed for; putting aside the lucky, outright 250LM Le Mans win for Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt in 1965!
Test session for the Ferrari 158’s, one of which is in NART colors, on 15 September 1964. John Surtees in drivers overalls, Technical Director Mauro Forghieri to his left, mechanic Giulio Borsari in the white cap. Modena Autodrome (GP Photo)
Not that the Italian autocrat was going to let principle, as he saw it, get in the way of practicality.
There were Grand Prix World Championships to win so rather than race in traditional racing red he ‘relinquished his entrants licence’, the cars, works cars in every way, shape and form being entered by Ferrari’s concessionaire in the US, Luigi Chinetti’s N.A.R.T at both the final two 1964 championship rounds at Watkins Glen, New York State and in Mexico City.
Surtees second placings in both races gave him the Drivers title and Ferrari the Manufacturers from Graham Hill’s BRM P261 by 9 points.
‘Honour’ and title won, the Ferrari’s raced on in Italian Racing Red and the 250LM as a prototype, much to its private entrants chagrin.
Surtees ready for the off, Modena 15 September 1964 (GP Photo)
The Vic Berris cutaway above is terrific in showing the semi-monocoque ‘aero’ construction Ferrari used for years whereby aluminium sheet was riveted and glued to a frame, let’s call it a spaceframe underneath.
Etcetera…
Lorenzo Bandini being attended to in the Spa pits during the June 1964 Belgian Grand Prix weekend.
Great shot of the engine and gearbox and bulkhead in between- note also inboard rear discs and calipers. #10 is the nose of the Surtees 158.
It wasn’t a great weekend for the Ferrari boys, both retired with engine dramas, John in the lead after completing only three laps and Lorenzo after eleven- Jim Clark won in a Lotus 25 Climax.
Photo Credits…
For all shots ‘Grand Prix Photo’ except Vic Berris cutaway drawing
Tailpiece: Camper’s delight as Surtees Fazz speeds past, Watkins Glen ’64…
(unattributed)
Finito…
Deacon Litz lines up his Maser V8 RI for practice prior to the 1937 George Vanderbilt Cup at Roosevelt Raceway, Long Island, New York on 5 July 1937…
All four of these 4788cc, supercharged 320bhp V8 racers ended up in the US having proved totally uncompetitive against the Mercedes Benz W25 and Auto Union V16 challenge in 1935/6.
This car chassis ‘4501’ practiced but didnt’t start the Vanderbilt Cup, at that stage it was owned by the Bradley-Martin brothers who owned horse racing stables under the name ‘Balmacaan’, it was in this name the car was entered.
The Mercedes, Auto Unions and latest Alfa’s weren’t available ex-factory so the latest Masers on paper were appealing but in reality second-hand Bugatti Type 59 or various Alfa’s would have been better bets.
‘4501’ remained in the ‘States, failing to qualify for the Indy 500 on every occasion it fronted up; in 1939, 1946, 1947, 1948 and 1949 finally being ‘pensioned off’ at this point for SCCA racing…
Credit…
Archive Photos
Tailpiece: Philippe Etancelin winning the 1935 Pau GP in a Maser V8 RI…
Alba, Italy (Rainer Schlegelmilch)
I wrote about the Alfa T33 a while back, this fantastic prototype racer, specifically Stradale chassis number # 75033.109 donated its mechanicals to one of the most iconic show cars of the twentieth century, Bertone’s Carabo…
The project was a collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Bertone, a partnership that dates back to the 2000 Sportiva and BAT concepts of the mid-fifties. Sensational road car that the thinly disguised racer Stradale was, Alfa struggled to sell the cars. So five chassis were passed to Italian carozzerie for concept use. Pininfarina designed the 33.2 and Cuneo, Italdesign the Iguana, the two to Bertone yielded the Carabo and Navajo.
Full size clay rendition of Carabo at Bertone (unattributed)
Key mechanical elements of the car were covered in the earlier article; an H-section tubular chassis and 1995cc, DOHC, chain-driven, 2 valve, fuel injected all alloy V8 producing circa 230bhp @ 10000rpm, slightly detuned from the racers 250-270bhp. The gearbox was a Colotti synchro 6 speed, the car did 160mph despite or because of its stunning looks and aerodynamic efficiency! Click here for the Alfa T33 Periscopica article;
https://primotipo.com/2015/06/23/alfa-romeo-tipo-33-periscopica-mugello-19/
Marcelo Gandini created a car which had a revolutionary impact on the motor industry because of the trends it set, such design elements a function of the mid-engined architecture of the donor chassis; Carabo’s wedge nose, ground hugging stance, extreme lowness and squared off ‘butt’ inspired many wedge-shaped designs of the 70’s and 80’s. The cars name is derived from ‘Carabidae’ a family of green and gold colored ground-beetles.
Gandini used the wedge shape to address aerodynamic lift issues of the Lambo Miura P400 he also designed. He hid headlights beneath active flaps, Carabo was also the first car to use the front-hinged wing doors the great Italian maestro later used on his Countach. The car also gave styling cues to the Lancia Stratos Zero concept and the ‘closer to production’ Stratos HF.
If subsequent adoption of trends set is the yardstick by which show and concept cars are judged Bertone’s Alfa Romeo Carabo is one of the automotive industry’s greatest…
Alfa Romeo Museum link…
https://www.museoalfaromeo.com/en-us/collezione/Pages/Carabo.aspx
Nuccio Bertone with one of his studio’s most influential designs (unattributed)
Credits…
Classic Car magazine, Alfa Romeo Museo Storica, Hull & Slater ‘Alfa Romeo’
Rainer Schlegelmilch
Tailpiece…
(Schlegelmilch)
(GP Library)
The little girl seems lost amongst the flurry of pre-race preparation in JW Automotive’s workshop near Le Mans 0n 29 September 1968…
It was not to be a happy race for the pictured car #11, chassis ‘1076’ driven by Aussie Touring Car and Sportscar star Brian Muir and Jackie Oliver. Brian tipped the car into the ‘kitty litter’ on lap 1, and managed to dig himself out but in the process fried the cars clutch, causing its retirement after completing 15 laps.
Teddy Pilette watches Muir digging his Ford out of the sand, the VDS entered Alfa T33/2 failed to finish with driveshaft failure on lap 104 (unattributed)
JW Automotive entered three GT40’s; ‘1074’ for Paul Hawkins and David Hobbs, ‘1075’ for Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi and the aforementioned ill-fated ‘1076’…
It was to be a great race for the team despite the poor start, Rodriguez/Bianchi won the classic by 5 laps from the Porsche 907 of Rico Steinemann and Dieter Spoerry. The Hawkins/Hobbs car retired on lap 107 with engine failure.
JW 1968 Le Mans lineup; #9 the winning ‘1075’ of Rodriguez/Bianchi, #10 Hawkins/Hobbs and #11 Muir/Ickx (unattributed)
Brian Muir gets away closest to the pits in GT40 #11 determined to make up lost ground…#14 Masten Gregory/Charlie Kolb Ferrari 250LM DNF , this NART entered chassis the car in which Masten won in 1965 co-driving with Jochen Rindt, #30 Andre de Cortanze/Jean Vinatier Alpine A220 Renault 8th, #3 Henry Greder/Umberto Maglioli Chev Corvette DNF and #60 Willy Meier/Jean de Mortemart Porsche 911T DNF (Schlegelmilch)
All the fun of the fair, Le Mans 1968 (Getty)
(Getty)
Plenty of pommes frites (Getty)
Lucien Bianchi (below) in the victorious Ford GT40 ‘1075’ this chassis became one of the greats of the event winning it again in 1969 driven by Jackie Ickx and Jaclie Oliver who had rather better luck than the year before!
In 1968 JW also won the Brands 6 Hour, Spa 1000Km (Ickx/Oliver in ‘1075’), Monza 1000Km (Hawkins/Hobbs in ‘1074’ and Watkins Glen 6 Hour (Ickx/Bianchi in ‘1075’) in addition to Le Mans winning for Ford the Manufacturers Championship.
At the 1969 years end the wonderful Ford GT’s from a ‘factory perspective’ competed no more having won Le Mans from 1966 to 1969, fitting results from one of the all time sports/racer greats.
Bianchi in the winning Ford GT (Schlegelmilch)
A Porsche 907 chasing 2 Alfa T33/2’s and below Rogriguez/Bianch aboard the winning JW GT40 (Getty)
Rodriguez, Bianchi and well earned Moet (Getty)
Etcetera…
John Wyer (left) confers with his timekeeper during the race (Getty)
The gendarmes start to prepare for the traditional 4 pm finish (Getty)
Credits…
GP Library, Rainer Schlegelmilch
Tailpiece: ‘More friggin’ sand than Bondi Beach, Sydneysider Brian Muir is thinkin’ to himself?…
Carroll Shelby delicately guides his Ferrari 375 up the slippery Wilkes-Barre, Pennyslvania, Hillclimb setting a course record of 58.768 seconds for the on 20 July 1956…
Later Grand Prix driver and ’59 Le Mans winner, Shelby’s Ferrari was one of four 375’s sent to the US to race at the ’52 Indy 500, the car raced by Alberto Ascari was the only car to qualify, i wrote about the 375 a while back;
The 375 then was owned by John Edgar, Shelby raced it for him at three ‘climbs in 1956; ‘Mt Washington’ on 15 July, the following week at ‘Giants Despair’ and finally ‘Breakneck Hillclimb’ on August 5th. No doubt the 4.4 litre, 380bhp F1/Indy car was quite a challenge on the tight hillclimb courses!
Historian Michael Lynch noted; ‘…the body had been modified since the car ran at Indy. The cars original serial number was simply no 1. That was then changed to #0388 in Ferrari’s normal sportscar numbering series, probably when the bodywork was modified’.
‘Giants Despair’ was first used in 1906, the event is one of the oldest continuing motorsport venues in the world, held over a 1 mile course and the hill rises 650 feet with grades of 20% over its 6 turns.
The hill starts with a long gently rising straight of 1/4 mile long which leads into a fast left-hander, then onto a short chute and then ‘Devils Elbow’ a sharp rising hairpin. Then their are series of 90 degree turns connected by short straights. Finally comes the ‘The Incline’ a 1/4 mile stretch which rises a little over 20 degrees to the finish.
The best time in 1906 was 2 minutes 11.2 seconds, by Hugh Harding’s Daimler. The record is currently held by John Bourke, 38.024 seconds in a ’97 Reynard Indycar, click on the link for his record run in 2014.
Credits…
Both photos, Michael Ochs Archives
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